The Montreal Canadiens shut down forward Brandon Prust for the remainder of the season Friday.

Prust has been dealing with a shoulder injury most of the season -- he sat out a month earlier in the year and missed eight games late in 2012-13 with s shoulder separation -- but the Canadiens didn't say what will keep the rugged veteran out of the lineup until the playoffs.

"Our medical team decided that it would be best if Brandon Prust did not play the rest of our regular season schedule," Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said after Friday's morning practice. "The time off will give him a chance to heal and come back 100% in the playoffs."

Therien opted to fill the spot vacated by Prust, who had been playing on a checking line with Travis Moen and Dale Weise, with Lars Eller, then shifted Alex Galchenyuk into that spot with Rene Bourque and Brian Gionta.

Prust has six goals and seven assists, along with a team-high 121 penalty minutes, in 52 games this season.

CANUCKS GETTING HEALTHY

The Vancouver Canucks could have a pair of big guns back in the lineup Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres.

Injured forwards Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler, both out with leg injuries, skated Friday for the first time since getting hurt. Kesler has missed four games with a sprained knee while Sedin has been out for nine game with a hamstring problem.

"I'm not going to play until I am ready," Kesler said on the league's website. "There's no sense in going out there and injuring myself again, but I felt good (Friday) and we'll see if I wake up sore (Saturday)."

But news of Kesler and Sedin's imminent return was tempered with the loss of Alex Burrows, who was hurt Wednesday against the Nashville Predators. Burrows took a slash from Shea Weber to his left hand.

LEAGUE APOLOGIZES TO PANTHERS

The NHL apologized to the Florida Panthers after referees blew a penalty call that cost them the winning goal in a loss to the Phoenix Coyotes Thursday, according to the Fort Lauderdale-based Sun-Sentinal newspaper.

Sources told the Sun-Sentinal that the league sent an apology by email. A different source told the paper one game referee admitted to the NHL supervisor at the game he'd blown the call.

"You don't have the ability to look at video for that situation it makes it hard from that side of the net, but obviously, not the right call," Panthers coach Peter Horachek said. It should've been interference, that goal should come back and makes it 1-1. You're going to have to deal with them. Everybody else does. "¦ I think that every single goal should be reviewed."

BRIEFLY

Detroit Red Wings forward David Legwand was fined $5,000 for butt-ending Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin during Thursday night's game. Penguins forward James Neal was fined $5,000 for cross-checking Red Wings forward Luke Glendening in the same game ... Minnesota Wild defenceman Nate Prosser won't be fined or suspended for his hit on New Jersey Devils forward Tim Sestito, according to the Bergen Record. Prosser was given a major penalty for elbowing on the play ... Forward Kyle Okposo and defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky of the New York Islanders are day-to-day with injuries, coach Jack Capuano said. Okposo has a lower-body injury while Visnovsky is dealing with an upper-body injury.